Anyone But Me

Chapter Nine

This chapter is dedicated to pgoodrichboggs! Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and words of encouragement! I don't think you know how much your words inspired me to bang out this chapter in one night. You are amazeballs!

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"I hope not." Hermione said, her voice cracking at the end. She had wanted it to come across as a joke but their past would not permit that kind of nonchalance to be used. As they made the turn at the closest corner she glanced up to take in his profile .

Malfoy expelled a deep breath before meeting her gaze. His eyebrow arched up as an unsure grin crossed his lips. "But, I am a hero tonight Granger! And the Hero Guide clearly states I cannot wound, maim, mutilate or otherwise cause any bodily harm to a maiden. Which you would qualify as... Right?"

She felt the blush creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She quickly looked down to the ground, choosing to ignore the primary implication of his question and instead concentrated on the path in front of them. "Yes. I am still very much female..."

"Lucky for you. If you weren't such a pretty little thing I probably would have left you to rot." He said simply. She felt his whole body stiffen against hers as what he said registered to them both. Draco Malfoy had just called her pretty... When had Hermione jumped into the freaking Twilight Zone? Was he that drunk?!? He had to be... Nothing else would be able to explain his behavior. She could hear him swallowing loudly as if he was just as dumbstruck by his admission as she had been.

Slowly the rest of his confession registered and she grimaced against the words at the end of his sentence. He would have left her to die if she wasn't pretty? Like her only redeeming attribute was her looks... Of course, considering who she was talking with, it might have simply been a backhanded compliment. She was just a Mudblood to him. The lowest of the low. Lower than the revolting Muggles. According to the way he had been brought up he should have killed her in that room and like he said- left her body to rot... But he had found one redeeming quality in her worthy enough to save. She should be grateful, not offended that there was a reason. Even if it was such a superficial one.

"Th... Thanks. I think..." She whispered, offering him an olive branch. He hadn't meant to be so morbid. Or say what he had about her looks... She could feel that from the tension rolling off of him. That was probably how Death Eaters and, subsequently, their families talked. When you were surrounded by death the psyche tended to do some twisted things to protect the mind, like making jokes out of it. She could only imagine the invisible scars left on the boy who was helping her.

Draco snorted in her ear and shook his head. He didn't make any indication that he wanted to continue their conversation so Hermione let it drop. She didn't want to push and cause something in him to snap, when it came to a Malfoy that mistake could prove to be quite destructive. Especially for someone with her blood status and antagonistic past with him. Even with her DA training she didn't think she was in good enough shape to take him on if he decided to try to use magic against her. Hell... A fly could probably topple her in her current state...

In silence they made decent progress. They didn't encounter anyone on the way which was a small blessing in this evening full of nightmares. Her mind ruminated over everything that had been said between the two of them over the course of the night. Each heavy stare or quick glance. Each time her stomach had flipped as if a chocolate frog was jumping around inside of it when his strong fingers rubbed involuntarily against her hip as he helped her. She still could not wrap her head around any of it. Why had he helped her? That specific question kept tickling in the back of her mind obsessively. It was as if by getting his answer this whole night would somehow start to make sense.